The invention relates generally to a guided fuse. In particular, this invention relates to a warhead fuse having control surfaces to controllably adjust the weapon's trajectory toward an intended target.
The Army and Navy possess large stockpiles of conventional munitions. The Navy has approximately two-hundred-thousand 5-inch conventional rounds, whereas the Army and Marines together have nearly 10 million, 155 mm and 105 mm projectiles. The latter services are generally satisfied with the range and lethality of these munitions against a wide variety of target types given accurate delivery and proper fusing.
However, the accuracy, as measured by the circular error of probability (CEP) for Army and Navy projectiles is several hundred meters. Due to this inaccuracy, hundreds of rounds and tens of minutes may be necessary to neutralize even a single threat. This expenditure consumes lethal-force resources and prolongs exposure of launch platforms to hostile action, as well as tax resupply networks with burdensome logistic demands.